Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic volunteers training is limited to Morton Arboretum Volunteers (some are also Master Gardeners).

Wednesday, Feb 1, 9am to noon: Lawn Care (Sharon Yiesla, Plant Clinic Assistant, Morton Arboretum)

Tuesday, Feb 14, 9am to noon: Insects (Donna Danielson, former Plant Clinic Assistant, Morton Arboretum)

Thursday, Feb 23, 9am to noon: Diseases (Donna Danielson)

Thursday, March 15, 9am to noon: Conifer Identification (Ed Hedborn, Manager of Plant Records at Morton Arboretum)

Noon-12:30: LUNCH!

12:30-3pm: Conifer Diseases (Donna Danielson)

Wednesday, March 21, 9am to noon: Tree and small fruits (Sharon Yiesla)

Noon-12:30: LUNCH!

12:30-3pm: Abiotic (non-living) problems (Sharon Yiesla)


For more information please contact:

Sharon A. Yiesla - Plant Clinic Assistant

The Morton Arboretum - 4100 Illinois Rt 53 Lisle, - Illinois 60532

630-719-2426 - Email: SYiesla@mortonarb.org

Hello Master Gardeners,

Please join us in the exchange of ideas at the MG Idea Exchange next week. MG-Donna Hirsch will be leading this event. Thanks Donna! Please find the details below:

What: First MG Idea Exchange of 2012

When: Wed. Feb. 1 at 1 p.m.

Where: Orland Park Cultural Center – 14760 Park Ln., Orland Park, IL. 60462 (map attached)

Speaker/Topic: Donna Hirsh – Will County Garden Walk

I am sorry to say that I will be unable to join you due to the 2012 MG training taking place that day. I look forward to seeing you all in March, where you will get to mingle with the MG class of 2012.

Thanks,

Nancy Kreith

Good Agricultural Practices workshop is for municipal employees who run farmers markets, coordinators of community gardens, and urban or suburban gardeners and farmers who may wish to oversee or sell produce at local markets.

Date: February 28, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) meeting room 1904 West 174th Street, East Hazel Crest, IL 60429. This site is accessible by public transportation (Train or bus).

Why? Food safety begins with sound practices on the farm garden, especially with fresh vegetable and fruit produce that is eaten raw. Recent outbreaks of food borne illnesses involving both fresh and processed food products have heightened public concern about food safety. Increasingly more consumers want to know how their food is grown. Most fresh produce retailers now require the producers who supply them to have 3rd party audits to verify safe food production and handling practices on the farm. The recently signed bill on food safety overhaul underscores the growing emphasis on food safety and the need for fresh produce farmers to produce a safe product.

This workshop has benefits for all producers, retailers and wholesalers in supermarkets, Farmers' Markets, or for business owners in service industries. In particular, the GAPs workshop will equip producers with the knowledge to put together a written food safety plan. By becoming food safety compliant, producers will stay competitive in the specialty produce business. It will enable retailers to know what to look for in Food Safety Plan.

You will explore:

• GAPs produce safety impact
• Post harvest produce handling
• Water quality and testing
• Auditing farms for GAPs/food safety
• Soil /manure/compost management
• Worker health and hygiene

Each registered participant will receive a GAPs manual, lunch and related handouts. Cost per participant is $30 and $25 for an additional farm/family/organization member, (sharing the curriculum). Pre-registration is required.

Register on line at https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=6284

Questions? Contact Nancy Pollard, Horticulture Educator - University of Illinois Extension
4749 Lincoln Mall Drive, Suite 208, Matteson, IL 60443, pollard@illinois.edu, Phone 708 679-6889

If you loved the fall tour you are sure to enjoy this. During this tour winter tree characteristics and tree identification will be highlighted. Tour will be given by Karl Pearson, Certified Arborist. This is also a site where Master Gardeners/Master Naturalists can volunteer.

What: Open Lands Tree Tour (Free of charge)

When: Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 at 1 p.m.

Where: At the open lands area along Holmes Ave. and Kindle (Hazel Crest, IL.)

Contact: MG - Maureen Guger at (708) 220-7351 for more information. Call Maureen in case of inclement weather on the day of tour.

Mark your calendars for a must-see event! The University of Illinois College of ACES and College of Media are hosting a symposium on the future of global food and agriculture in Champaign, Ill., on Feb. 17, 2012. This event also marks the 50^th anniversary of the Agricultural Communications program at the University of Illinois. It will bring together professionals who are interested in food security topics.

Speakers include:

• International business leaders
• Representatives from NGOs such as the Environmental Working Group, International Food Information Council, and the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance
• Journalists from the Wall Street Journal along with regional and trade publications
• Leading communications academics from California, Colorado, Kansas, Florida and Illinois
• And many more

Registration and more info can be found at: http://agcommevent.com/

Save the Date!

Food & Agricultural Communications: The Next Frontier

Date: Friday, February 17, 2012

Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by the gala

Location: I Hotel in Champaign, Illinois

There's still time to register for selected broadcasts from the Carolina Organic Commodities and Livestock conference!

Here's a list of more eOrganic webinars and live conference broadcasts in January on organic farming and research topics. All webinars are free and open to the public, and advance registration is required. Click on the links below to find out more information and register! Find all our webinar recordings at http://www.extension.org/pages/25242

A quick reminder that the Winter Session courses begin 23 January. Register now at www.umn.edu/ipm3 for any of the following courses at a 33% discount:

IPM Core Concepts Module: Discounted rate $250 (regularly $375)
Pest Biology – Weeds: Discounted rate $168 (regularly $250)
Pest Biology – Plant Diseases: Discounted rate $100 (regularly $150)
Invasive Species Specialty Module: Discounted rate $168 (regularly $250)
Imported Fire Ant IPM: Discounted rate $168 (regularly $250)
IPM for Facility Managers and Supervisors: Discounted rate $250 (regularly $375)
IPM Core Concepts Module in Spanish: Discounted rate $250 (regularly $375)


--
Mark E. Ascerno, Professor Emeritus and Co-Chair
IPM3 Training Consortium
Department of Entomology
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN 55108

Voice: 612-624-9773
FAX: 612-625-5299
Email: mascerno@umn.edu

Visit the IPM3 website: www.umn.edu/ipm3

Follow IPM3 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IPM3/272476356101537#!/pages/IPM3/272476356101537?sk=wall

Join Lincoln Park Zoo this winter for a free workshop exploring new ways to envision your garden as you plan for next growing season. Reimagining your garden is most successful when it merges creative inspiration with best gardening practices. Let Director of Horticulture Brian Houck open up these topics and empower you with new tools.

When: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 6-7 p.m.

Cost: Free

Register:  By Email: educationprograms@lpzoo.org 

Extension Master Gardeners from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois are invited to attend the 2012 Upper Midwest Master Gardener Conference.

Join fellow gardeners for three days of education, collaboration and discovery on July 19-21, 2012 at the UMN Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen, MN.

Schedule and more info posted at:
http://hennepinmastergardeners.org/upper-midwest-master-gardener-conference/

Join their Facebook page for updates on the conference at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/2012-Upper-Midwest-Master-Gardener-Conference/146443522057390

Plans are already underway for the 2012 Illinois Master Gardener conference.

McHenry and Lake County Master Gardeners will host the conference on September 6, 7, 8th at the Holiday Inn Crystal Lake Conference Center in Crystal Lake, IL.

The keynote speaker for conference 2012 will be Eliot Coleman. Eliot has more than 40 years of experience in all aspects of organic farming, including field vegetables, greenhouse vegetables, rotational grazing of cattle and sheep, and range poultry. He is the author of The New Organic Grower, Four Seasons Harvest and the Winter Harvest Handbook. Four Season Farm is an experimental market garden in Harborside, Maine, owned and operated by writers Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman. The farm produces vegetables year-round and has become a nationally recognized model of small-scale sustainable agriculture.  More details will be posted closer to the event at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mg/

From the desk of Master Gardener, Donna Hirsch...............

Did you find some seeds when you were cleaning house? Or get some as a gift? Check out www.WinterSown.org for a novel way to start some seeds now. All you need is some potting mix, an empty milk jug or other recycled container and your seeds. The info on the website, while not directly from the U of I Extension, still follows conventional seed starting methods, except for leaving the seeds outside during the winter. The website is interesting, informative, and might be something fun to start with children now.

If you feel like traveling down south check out the......
Southern Region Master Gardener 2012 Conference

Tuesday, May 01, 2012 1:00 PM - Friday, May 04, 2012 1:00 PM (Central Time)

Natchez Convention Center
601-442-5850
211 Main Street
Natchez, Mississippi 39120
United States

Registration Options
We recommend that you review the conference information prior to completing the registration. Easy and fast electronic registration is open now until April 12, 2012. Secure your selections immediately for this informative conference.

Agenda is posted at: http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1007849

Dates & Conference Fees
March 10, 2012 – Last date to register by mail. Registration must be postmarked by indicated date to get discount.
April 15, 2012 – Last day to register online for the conference. Registration must be postmarked by indicated date to get discount.

$105 - Early Bird Registration by January 14, 2012
MUST be postmarked by this Date
$155 – Registration from January 15 through March 10, 2012
MUST be postmarked by this Date
$205 – Late Registration from March 11 through April 15, 2012
ONLINE registration Only

Mid Am Registration and Show Information

Trade Show Dates: January 18-20, 2012
Location: Navy Pier/Chicago, IL

Mid Am brings it all together in one location, including plants, patios, pools, equipment, tools, water features, hardscapes, landscape materials, structures, irrigation/erosion control, professional services and just about anything else you need to run your business.

You'll also find an extensive education program that will help you educate your team on the latest techniques and methods as well as tracks that will help you run your business better.

And, of course, there are ample networking events and opportunities to help you grow stronger relationships with others in the industry.

• Download the Mid Am Brochure to learn more (pdf)
• Register today to take advantage of everything Mid Am has to offer!

Trade Show Hours:

Mid Am Registration opens daily at 7:30 a.m.

January 18: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

January 19: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

January 20: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

See website for registration fees: http://www.midam.org/Registration/registration.html

Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show
Mid Am, 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611
Toll-free: (800) 300-6103
Phone: 312-321-5130 Fax: 312-673-6882
E-mail: mail@midam.org
www.midam.org

Aquaponics 101: Home System Build Out
PRICE: $225.00
DATE: January 14th, 2012. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Showroom in The Plant (1400W 46th St, Chicago, IL. 60609)

312Aquaponics is hosting a 6 Hour Class that covers -

History of Urban Agriculture:

• Brief overview of early civilization aquaponic systems
• Introduction to Murray Hallam, Myles Harston, and Dr. James Rakocy
• What can I grow in my system? How much can I grow?

Aquaponics Biological Loop

• Water Dynamics and Tilapia Biology
• Bacteria Growth and Trace Mineralization
• Plant Growth Cycles, Nutrient Uptake, and Lighting Dynamics

Construction Demonstration

• Parts List and Construction Manual
• Cutting Techniques and Assembly Demonstration
• Pumps and Aeration

System Start-Up & Maintenance

• Adding fish, adding plants, 'cycling' bacteria
• Nutrient deficiencies and troubleshooting
• Removing roots, replanting, fish harvesting

Aquaponics 100: An Urban Perspective
PRICE: $150.00
DATE: January 15th, 2012. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Showroom in The Plant (1400W 46th St, Chicago, IL. 60609)

312Aquaponics is hosting a 4 Hour Class that covers -

The History of Urban Agriculture:

• How has this idea of growing fresh produce in densely populated areas transitioned through-out time?
• The Current Model of Urban Ag, Raised Beds, Vermi-Composting, Hoop Houses, Small Greenhouses, Rooftop gardens, and Square Foot Gardening.
• What is the future of farming?

Aquaponics Biological Loop:

• Water Dynamics, Tilapia Biology, Introduction to other Fish
• Bacteria Cycling, Nitrogen Cycle, Trace Mineralization
• Growing Cycle, Nutrient Uptake, and Lighting Dynamics

Community / Home System Design Principles:

• Water/Air Flow, Material Choice, Lighting Choice
• Raft vs. Medium Beds vs. NFT
• Proven Models of Small-Scale Design
• How can I implement a small system in my home?

Register at: http://www.312ap.com/home/index.php/classes/

--

Mario Spatafora

Co-founder, 312 Aquaponics

(312) 476-9134
www.312ap.com

Growing Power's School Garden ABCs workshop
Saturday, January 14th from 9am - 4pm!

The workshop is designed for school garden educators or involved community members who want to learn more about designing, planning and sustaining school gardens. Come find out more about Growing Power's techniques and learn how to better integrate the garden into your curriculum!

The workshop will be held at:

Growing Power Chicago
Iron Street Farm
3333 S. Iron Street
Chicago, IL 60608

Cost to participate is $45 with lunch and CPDUs included.

Register at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/214723

9th Annual Garden Show
Porter County Master Gardeners Association and Purdue Extension - Porter County

"The Show for Gardeners by Gardeners"
Saturday, January 21, 2012 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. CST (Chicago Time)
Porter County Expo Center IN-49 at Division Road, Valparaiso, IN
Admission $10, Free Parking Children under 12 Free
5 Free Tickets to Exchange for Seeds
Free Door Prizes

More information at: http://www.pcgarden.info/gardening_show

Cooking, health, and landscaping info at Herb Day Jan. 21

The featured speakers for this year's University of Illinois Herb Day will share their time-honored tips about herbs used in cooking and gardening with some special regional flair, according to a U of I Extension herb specialist. The event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center near Lincoln Avenue and I-74 in Urbana.

"This is the 13th annual Herb Day," said Chuck Voigt, University of Illinois Extension vegetable and herb specialist and coordinator of the event. "We have speakers this year coming from several colorful cooking regions in the U. S. who will bring a unique flavor to the day."

One speaker, Jason Powell from Petals from the Past in Jemison, Alabama, will give two presentations. "Jason became one of the Rose Rustlers while in grad school in Texas and carried a love for old roses back with him to his home in Alabama," Voigt said. "In addition to a wonderful line of old roses, Jason and his family now run an eclectic nursery, garden center, fruit farm, and jam- and jelly-making business." Powell's two presentations will be about garden roses and herbs.

Linda Franzo, from Passionate Platter in Slidell, Louisiana, is a native New Yorker transplanted to the New Orleans area. "Linda will whisk us away from the Midwestern winter and take us on a culinary adventure called 'Under the Tuscan Sun,'" Voigt said.

Ann McCormick, from the Herb 'n Cowgirl, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide her take on "Seasoning the Melting Pot." She is the author of "10 Must-Have Herbs for Cooks." Her presentation will look at how the diverse immigrants to the U.S. have influenced its cuisine.

In addition to the speakers, there will be a retail area selling a wide variety of herb, spice and gardening products as well as books and products from the presenters.

Advance registration of $60, which includes an herb-themed lunch buffet, must be received by Jan. 13 to guarantee lunch. For more information, call Linda Harvey at 217-244-1693, or send an email to lharvey@illinois.edu.

On-site registration on Jan. 21 begins at 8 a.m. only as space allows and does not include lunch. The first educational session begins promptly at 9 a.m.

Author: Debra Levey Larson

To view this article online: http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news6066.html

The Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference will be held Jan. 11-13, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, IL. The conference, which features more than 100 speakers and 50 trade show exhibitors, will again host four concurrent preconference workshops, general sessions and breakout sessions aimed at helping Illinois specialty growers cultivate their operations.

Wednesday, Jan. 11, participants may attend one of four preconference workshops, including Getting Started: Guidelines and Resources for New Growers, Scaling Up Local Food Systems, Expanding Farmers' Market opportunities and Legal Issues for Specialty Crop Producers.

The conference opens Thursday, Jan. 12, with a general session and keynote titled, "Foods that Heal – How Eating Local Foods Can Lead to a Sustainable and Healthier Community," featuring Michael McGreal, chef and culinary educator, Joliet Junior College. Participants are invited to attend breakout sessions Thursday, Jan. 12, and Friday, Jan. 13, featuring Agritourism, Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Organic Foods, and Emerging Issues and Opportunities. Following Thursday's breakout sessions, the annual banquet will include a keynote speech titled, "A Lifetime of Resource Conservation on Farm and Home – Doing it the Easy Way," presented by Jerry Mills, Mills Apple Farm, Marine, Ill. The 23rd Annual Apple Cider Contest and 10th Annual Hard Cider Contest will again be held in conjunction with the conference, with winners being announced during Thursday evening's festivities.

To receive registration materials or to obtain exhibitor information, please contact Diane Handley at 309-557-2107 or dhandley@ilfb.org. A detailed conference agenda and cider contest details can be viewed at www.specialtygrowers.org. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at a rate of $87 per night. Please call the hotel directly at 217-529-7777 and ask for the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference room block to make reservations at the conference rate.

Master Gardeners are welcome to sit in on the Wednesday training dates for 2012. Please let Nancy Kreith kreith@illinois.edu know if you plan to attend any one or more of the following classes. Space is very limited for Sand Ridge Natural Center – Vegetables class on Feb. 1, 2012.

2012 Master Gardener Training Schedule - South Suburban Cook County

(Dates subject to change)

When: Wednesdays from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Where: Orland Park Cultural Center: 14760 Park Lane, Orland Park, IL. 60462

* Note: Feb. 1st class to be held at Sand Ridge Nature Center: 15890 Paxton Ave, South Holland, IL. 60473

**Note: Feb. 29th class to be held at Lake Katherine Nature Center: 7402 Lake Katherine Drive Palos Heights, IL. 60463

The Purdue University and University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Services will sponsor the Illiana Vegetable Growers' School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST on Thursday, January 5, at Teibel's Restaurant in Schererville, Indiana. The program will be of special interest to vegetable farmers, including market gardeners, in Northeast Illinois and Northern Indiana.

Topics for the 2012 edition of this popular event for vegetable growers include a review of vegetable insect pests from 2011 and what to know for 2012; managing bacterial diseases of tomato; defense-inducing products (a worthy investment?); and impacts of 2,4-D/Dicamba-resistant soybeans on vegetable producers.

Liz Maynard, Purdue Extension Horticulture Specialist, explained, "Growers can learn about current research in insect, disease and weed management, and how they can use that information to improve overall pest management on their farms."

"They can also learn about consumer interests and cost of production for vegetable crops; information that can be used to improve marketing practices," Maynard added.

There will be presentations on consumer food trends; bottom-line vegetable growing economics and the new fertilizer certification rule for Indiana.

During the afternoon, concurrent sessions will offer a choice of topics: irrigation and managing for healthy soils with manure and soil building crops.

For the irrigation section, topics will include the basics of irrigation scheduling to improve water use efficiency and a panel discussion with growers who irrigate.

For the soil health section, topics include managing manure in vegetable production, cover crops characteristics and management and a panel discussion on soil-building crops.

Participants will have the opportunity to visit with company representatives who supply vegetable seeds and other products that support vegetable production during several breaks in the program. Growers can also purchase the latest vegetable production guides, which will be available at the meeting.

Continuing education credits are anticipated for Certified Crop Advisers and for those holding Indiana private or commercial pesticide licenses.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register before Monday, Dec. 19 by completing a registration form and sending with $20 to the Purdue Extension-Lake County office. Folks may also register on-site at the school for $25, but the famous Teibel's fried chicken luncheon cannot be guaranteed without pre-registration. Registration materials and more information are available at Purdue's Fruit and Vegetable Connection website, www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg under "Events." Individuals may also contact Purdue Extension-Lake County at (219) 755-3240 or Liz Maynard at (219) 531-4200 Ext. 4206.

Sources: Gene Matzat, (219) 324-9407, ematzat@purdue.edu

Liz Maynard, (219) 531-4200 Ext. 4206, emaynard@purdue.edu